Former Bengal CM Jyoti basu passes away

Former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu, who was battling for life in a hospital at Kolkata for the last fortnight, died on Sunday. "I have to give you a sad news that Jyoti Basu is no longer with us," Biman Bose, the Chairman of the Left Front coordination committee, announced to reporters a little around 1230 hrs. An emotional Bose said that Jyoti Babu is no longer in this world. 95-year-old Basu, who had suffered multi-organ failure was on a temporary pacemaker since late last night.

Basu's personal physician Dr Ajit Kumar Maity said that the veteran leader breathed his last at 11:47 am at the AMRI Hospital where he was admitted with pneumonia on 1st January. He was put on a ventilator on 6th January. Basu, who strode the political arena like a colossus for over six decades, is survived by son Chandan. His wife Kamal pre-deceased him four years ago. A political legend, Basu became the longest serving chief minister of West Bengal for 23 years from 1997 at the head of CPI-M-headed Left Front government.